brief overview of the cognitive load theory by john sweller and other contributors.

1. COGNITIVE LOAD
THEORY
BY : S A R A H A N D C I E R A
I DT 5 9 0 : S P E C I A L TO P I C S I N I N S T R U C T I O N A L
D E S I G N

2. SO YOU THINK YOU CAN MULTI-TASK?
Resource: John Medina, Neuroscientist, Molecular Biologist, and author of “Brain Rules”
https://vimeo.com/16335487

4. Electrical Overload
Information Overload
. . . Just dangerously stupid!

5. WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS
PICTURE? You get home from
school and it’s time to
do homework.
Could you get work
done WELL in this
environment?

6. COGNITIVE
LOAD THEORY
TOTAL AMOUNT OF MENTAL
EFFORT BEING USED IN THE
WORKING MEMORY.
“Without an understanding of human
cognitive architecture, instruction is
blind.” John Sweller

7. • Educationa
l
Psychologi
st
• Teacher
• researcher
JOHN SWELLER
Source: https://researched.org.uk/sessions/john-sweller/
http://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/cognitive-load.html
• Cognitive Load Theory (1980's to present)
built upon George Miller's (1956) research
about information processing.
• Cognition and educational development
• memorization and knowledge processing

8. WHAT
IS SCHEMA?
A conceptual framework
OR
The pattern of thought or
behavior that organizes
categories of information
and the relationships
among them.
Held in our long-term
memory

10. WORKING
MEMORY:
T H E PA R T O F S H O R T - T ERM M E M O RY T H AT
I S CO N C ER NED W I T H I M M E D IAT E
CO N S C I OU S P E R C EP T UA L A N D L I N G U IS T IC
P R O C E S S ING .
V ID EO LINK:
H T T PS : / / V I M EO. CO M /5 2 2 9 48 9 5
Click to
play

11. TYPES OF COGNITIVE LOAD

12. MANAGING COGNITIVE LOAD

13. THEORYCONTRIBUTIONS
RICHARD E. MAYER
• Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML) - 12
principles
• “People learn better from multimedia messages when they
are designed in ways that are consistent with how the
human mind works and are consistent with research based

14. THEORY
CONTRIBUTIONS FRANK NGUYEN
• Leader in Instructional Design Industry
• Cognitive Load affected by 3 factors:
• Instructional material,
• content complexity, and
• learner expertise.
RUTH C. CL ARK
https://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/authors/18/ruth-
Source:
https://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/245/
efficiency-in-e-learning-proven-instructional-
methods-for-faster-better-online-learning

15. THEORY
CONTRIBUTIONS
PAUL AYERS
SL AVA KALYUGA

16. Do you agree?

17. Discussion Questions:
Choose one or more discussion questions and address the group with the
question and your response. More than one response per question is
OK. Please also comment on others' posts to generate discussion.
1. Describe a scenario/situation where you have felt you had reached your cognitive limit?
2. Find and post a picture that helps describe cognitive load.
3. Can you think of examples of how we can reduce the cognitive load on a learner? How
does multimedia assist with reducing cognitive load? Can you relate?
4. What might result from being cognitively overloaded?
5. What type of cognitive load would a person be using if they were doodling during a
lecture? Why do you think this is encouraged in some cases?
6. Other than in teaching/learning, what industries or careers could utilize the cognitive
theory? Explain.

18. FOR FURTHER
CONSIDERATION

19. FOR FURTHER
CONSIDERATION

20. RESOURCES
• Mayer, R. E. (2001). Multimedia Learning. New York: Cambridge University Press.
• Medina, John. (2008). Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and
School. Seattle, WA: Pear Press Publishing
• http://www.brainrules.net/pdf/references_all.pdf
• http://etec.ctlt.ubc.ca/510wiki/Cognitive_Theory_of_Multimedia_Learning#Other_Multimedia_Theories
• https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-views/tes-talks-john-sweller
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_load
• https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/cognitive-load-theory.htm
• https://youtu.be/-UflWOrS47M
• https://hilt.harvard.edu/blog/principles-multimedia-learning-richard-e-mayer
• http://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/cognitive-load.html
• https://elearningindustry.com/cognitive-load-theory-and-instructional-design
• https://www.teachthought.com/learning/cognitive-load-theory-definition-teachers/
• If you so choose, conduct this search through the UND library (long link) CLICK HERE